The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-12-10
that the captain and mate had been car.

me on board of her with salvage crew.
But that night the French crew mutinied,
cut the cables, ard would have got to sea
if we had not been armed and prepared,
and managed to drive them below.
When we had got them under matches
for few hours they parleyed, and
offered to go quietly ashore. AS we were
short of hands and unable TO take them
with us, and as we had no evidence
against them, we let them go, took the
| ship to Callao, turned her over to the au-
thorities, lodged claim for salvage, and
continued our voyage. When we returned
we found the truth Of the story was
known. She had been French trader
| from Marseilles, owned by her captain;
her crew had mutinied in the Pacific,
killed their officers and the only passenger
the owner of the cargo. They had made
away with the cargo and treasure Of
nearly half million Of Spanish gold for
trading purposes which belonged to the
passenger In course of time the ship
was sold for salvage and put into the
South American trade until the breaking
out Of the Californian gold excitement,
when she was sent with cargo to San
Francisco That ship was the Pontiac
which your father bought"
A slight shudder ran through the girls
frame. ~ wish-I wish you hadn't told
me-" she said. II shall never close my
eyes again comfortably on board Of her,
know"
II would say that you had purified her
Of all stains Of her past-but there may be
one that remains. And that in most peo-
ple's eyes would be no detraction. You
look puzzled, Miss Nott-but am COM
ing to the explanation and the end of my
story. A ship Of war was sent to the
island to punish the mutineers and pirates,
for such they were, but they could not be
found. A private expedition was sent to
discover the treasure which they were
supposed to have buried, but in vain.
About two months ago Mr.. Sleight told
me one of his shipmasters had sent him q
Lascar sailor who had to dispose Of a
valuable secret regarding the Pontiac for
a percentage That secret was that the
treasure was never taken by the mutineers
out of the Pontiac! They were about to
land and bury it when we boarded them.
They took advantage of their Imprisonment
under matches to bury it in the ship. They
hid it in the hold so securely and safely
that it was never detected by US or the
Callao authorities. l was then asked, as
one who knew the vessel, to undertake q
private examination of her, with view
of purchasing her from your father with
out awakening his suspicious. l assented.
You have my confession now, Miss Mott.
You know my crime. am at your mercy"
Rosey's arm only frightened around his
own. Her eyes sought his. "And you
didn't find anything"' she said.
The question sounded so oddly like
Sleight's, that Renshaw returned little
stiffly-
81 didn't look"
"Why9" asked Rosey simply.
Because" stammered Renshaw, with
an uneasy consciousness Of having exagger-
ated his sentiment, lit didn't seem honor
able; it didn't seem fair to you"
"Oh you silly! you might have looked
and told me"
But" said Renshaw, "do you think
that would have been fair to Sleight'"
GAS fair to him as to u.s. For, don't
you see, it wouldn't belong to any of us.
1t would belong to the friends or the fam
lily of the man who lost it."
"But there were no heirs, " replied Rem
shaw. "That was proved by some i'm
poster who pretended to be his brother,
and libeled the Pontiac at Callao, but the
courts decided he was a lunatic."
"Then it belongs to the poor pirates
who risked their own lives for it, rather
than to Sleight, who did nothing" She
was silent for moment and then re-
sumed with energy, ~ believe he was at
the bottom of that attack last night"
~ have thought 90, too" said Rem
shaw.
"Then 1 must 60 back at once" she
continued, impulsively. Father must
not be left alone"
"Nor must YOU" said Renshaw,
quickly. "Do let me return with you, and
snare WIN you ana your latner tne tTouDle
l have brought upon you. Do not" he
added in lower tone, deprive me of the
only chance of expiating my offense, of
making myself worthy your forgiveness"
~ am sure" said Rosey, lowering her
lids and half withdrawing her arm, 81 am
sure l have nothing to forgive. You did
not believe the treasure belonged to us
any more than to anybody else until you
knew mel
"That is true" said the young man, at
tempting to take her hand.
81 mean," said Rosey, blushing, and
showing dstracting row of little teeth in
one of her infrequent laughs, "oh, you
know what l mean" She withdrew her
arm gently, and became interested in the
selection of certain wayside bay leaves as
they passed along. CAN the same, don't
believe in this treasure, she said abruptly,
as If to change the subject. 81 don't be-
lieve It ever was hidden inside the
Pontiac"
THAT can easily be ascertained now"
said Renshaw
"But it's pity you didn't find it out